Locking chuck

Abstract

A chuck (10) has a body (14), a plurality of jaws (22), and a rotatable nut (16). A sleeve (18) is rotatable between a first rotational position and a second rotational position with respect to the nut. An annular array of first teeth (84) are non-rotatable with respect to the body. One or more second teeth (63) are non-rotatable with respect to the nut and axially movable with respect to the body. When the teeth engage, they resist the nut's rotation in the opening direction. An engagement between the sleeve and the one or more second teeth moves the one or more second teeth out of engagement with the first teeth when the sleeve moves from the second rotational position to the first rotational position and moves the one or more second teeth into engagement with the first teeth when the sleeve moves from the first rotational position to the second rotational position.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A chuck for use with a manual or powered driver having a rotatable drive shaft, the chuck comprising:
 a body having a nose section, a tail section, and a center axis, the tail section being configured to rotate with the drive shaft and the nose section having an axial bore formed therein and a plurality of passageways formed therethrough and intersecting the axial bore; 
 a plurality of jaws movably disposed in the passageways; 
 a nut rotatably mounted about the body and in operative communication with the jaws so that rotation of the nut in a closing direction with respect to the body moves the jaws toward the center axis of the body and rotation of the nut in an opening direction with respect to the body moves the jaws away from the center axis of the body; 
 a sleeve rotatably mounted about the body, the sleeve being in operative communication with the nut so that the sleeve rotationally drives the nut but is rotatable with respect to the nut between a first rotational position and a second rotational position; 
 an annular array of first teeth that are non-rotatable about the center axis with respect to the body and facing toward the nose section of the body; 
 one or more second teeth disposed on a ring, the second teeth being non-rotatable about the center axis with respect to the nut and axially movable with respect to the body, the one or more second teeth being configured so that when the one or more second teeth engage the first teeth, the one or more second teeth and the first teeth resist rotation of the one or more second teeth, and thereby the nut, in the opening direction with respect to the body; and 
 an engagement between the sleeve and the ring that moves the one or more second teeth out of engagement with the first teeth when the sleeve moves from the second rotational position to the first rotational position and that moves the one or more second teeth into engagement with the first teeth when the sleeve moves from the first rotational position to the second rotational position; 
 wherein the engagement comprises respective opposing cam surfaces on an inner surface of the sleeve and the ring; 
 wherein the ring defines a first recess and a second recess on opposite sides of the cam surface defined on the ring, wherein the first recess defines a first axial distance between the one or more second teeth and a depth of the first recess, wherein the second recess defines a second axial distance between the one or more second teeth and a depth of the second recess that is greater than the first distance, and wherein the cam surface defined on the sleeve is received at the first recess in the first rotational position of the sleeve and is received at the second recess at the second rotational position of the sleeve. 
 
     
     
       2. The chuck as in  claim 1 , comprising a plurality of the one or more second teeth. 
     
     
       3. The chuck as in  claim 2 , comprising a spring that biases the ring toward the first teeth. 
     
     
       4. The chuck as in  claim 2 , wherein the first teeth and the plurality of second teeth have sides that are aligned in parallel with the center axis. 
     
     
       5. The chuck as in  claim 2 , wherein the first teeth and the plurality of second teeth have sides that are aligned at an acute angle with respect to the center axis. 
     
     
       6. The chuck as in  claim 2 , wherein the first teeth and the plurality of second teeth have sides that are aligned in parallel with the center axis, and wherein the sleeve is axially movable with respect to the body. 
     
     
       7. The chuck as in  claim 1 , wherein a spring is disposed between the body and the ring and biases the ring against the sleeve and toward the first teeth. 
     
     
       8. A chuck for use with a manual or powered driver having a rotatable drive shaft, the chuck comprising:
 a body having a nose section, a tail section, and a center axis, the tail section being configured to rotate with the drive shaft and the nose section having an axial bore formed therein and a plurality of passageways formed therethrough and intersecting the axial bore; 
 a plurality of jaws movably disposed in the passageways; 
 a sleeve rotatably mounted about the body and in operative communication with the jaws so that rotation of the sleeve in a closing direction with respect to the body moves the jaws toward the center axis of the body and rotation of the sleeve in an opening direction with respect to the body moves the jaws away from the center axis of the body; 
 a lock disposed operatively between the sleeve and the jaws, the sleeve being in operative communication with the lock so that the sleeve rotationally drives the lock but is rotatable with respect to the lock between a first rotational position and a second rotational position; 
 an annular array of first teeth that are non-rotatable about the center axis with respect to the body and facing toward the nose section of the body; and 
 an engagement between the sleeve and a nut that moves the lock from a first condition at which the angular array of first teeth are engaged and the lock resists movement of the jaws in the passageways away from the center axis to a second condition at which the angular array of first teeth are not engaged and the lock permits movement of the jaws in the passageways away from the center axis when the sleeve moves from the second rotational position to the first rotational position and
 that moves the lock from the second condition to the first condition when the sleeve moves from the first rotational position to the second rotational position, 
 
 wherein the engagement is configured so that a rotational torque applied to the sleeve at which the sleeve moves from the first rotational position to the second rotational position corresponds to an output gripping force between said plurality of jaws that is sufficient to secure a tool in the chuck for a predetermined purpose; 
 wherein the engagement comprises respective opposing cam surfaces on an inner surface of the sleeve and the nut; 
 wherein the nut defines a first recess and a second recess on respective opposite sides of the cam surface defined on the nut, wherein the first recess defines a first axial distance between the first teeth and a depth of the first recess, wherein the second recess defines a second axial distance between the first teeth and a depth of the second recess that is greater than the first distance, and wherein the cam surface defined on the sleeve is received at the first recess in the first rotational position of the sleeve and is received at the second recess at the second rotational position of the sleeve. 
 
     
     
       9. The chuck as in  claim 8 , wherein the nut rotatably is mounted about the body and in operative communication with the jaws so that rotation of the nut in a closing direction with respect to the body moves the jaws toward the center axis of the body and rotation of the nut in an opening direction with respect to the body moves the jaws away from the center axis of the body, wherein the sleeve rotationally drives the nut but is rotatable with respect to the nut between the first rotational position and the second rotational position,
 wherein the lock comprises one or more second teeth that are non-rotatable about the center axis with respect to the nut and axially movable with respect to the body, the one or more second teeth being configured so that when the one or more second teeth engage the first teeth, the one or more second teeth and the first teeth resist rotation of the one or more second teeth, and thereby the nut, in the opening direction with respect to the body, and 
 wherein the engagement is defined between the sleeve and the nut so that the engagement moves the one or more second teeth out of engagement with the first teeth when the sleeve moves from the second rotational position to the first rotational position and moves the one or more second teeth into engagement with the first teeth when the sleeve moves from the first rotational position to the second rotational position. 
 
     
     
       10. The chuck as in  claim 9 , comprising a plurality of the one or more second teeth. 
     
     
       11. The chuck as in  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of second teeth are defined on the lock and the lock comprises an annular ring about the body, wherein the lock is rotationally fixed but axially movable with respect to the nut. 
     
     
       12. The chuck as in  claim 11 , comprising a spring that biases the annular ring toward the first teeth. 
     
     
       13. The chuck as in  claim 10 , wherein the first teeth and the plurality of second teeth have sides that are aligned in parallel with the center axis. 
     
     
       14. The chuck as in  claim 8 , wherein the engagement is configured so that the rotational torque is approximately sixty inch-pounds. 
     
     
       15. The chuck as in  claim 8 , wherein the engagement is configured so that the rotational torque is approximately fifty-seven inch-pounds. 
     
     
       16. The chuck as in  claim 8 , wherein one of the respective opposing cam surfaces between the nut and the sleeve is defined at an acute angle with respect to the center axis and wherein the rotational torque comprises a torque required to move the opposing cam surfaces past each other as the sleeve moves from the first rotational position to the second rotational position. 
     
     
       17. The chuck as in  claim 9 , wherein a spring is disposed between the body and the annular ring and biases the annular ring against the sleeve and toward the first teeth. 
     
     
       18. The chuck as in  claim 9 , wherein the first teeth and the one or more second teeth have sides that are aligned in parallel with the center axis, and wherein the sleeve is axially movable with respect to the body. 
     
     
       19. A chuck for use with a manual or powered driver having a rotatable drive shaft, the chuck comprising:
 a body having a nose section, a tail section, and a center axis, the tail section being configured to rotate with the drive shaft and the nose section having an axial bore formed therein and a plurality of passageways formed therethrough and intersecting the axial bore; 
 a plurality of jaws movably disposed in the passageways; 
 a nut rotatably mounted about the body and in operative communication with the jaws so that rotation of the nut in a closing direction with respect to the body moves the jaws toward the center axis of the body and rotation of the nut in an opening direction with respect to the body moves the jaws away from the center axis of the body; 
 a sleeve rotatably mounted about the body, the sleeve being in operative communication with the nut so that the sleeve rotationally drives the nut but is rotatable with respect to the nut between a first rotational position and a second rotational position; 
 an annular array of first teeth that are non-rotatable about the center axis with respect to the body and facing toward the nose section of the body; 
 one or more second teeth disposed on a ring, the second teeth being that are non-rotatable about the center axis with respect to the nut and axially movable with respect to the body, the one or more second teeth being configured so that when the one or more second teeth engage the first teeth, the one or more second teeth and the first teeth resist rotation of the one or more second teeth, and thereby the nut, in the opening direction with respect to the body; and 
 an engagement between the sleeve and the ring that moves the one or more second teeth out of engagement with the first teeth when the sleeve moves from the second rotational position to the first rotational position and that moves the one or more second teeth into engagement with the first teeth when the sleeve moves from the first rotational position to the second rotational position, wherein the engagement is configured so that a rotational torque applied to the sleeve at which the sleeve moves from the first rotational position to the second rotational position is approximately fifty-seven inch-pounds or approximately sixty inch-pounds; 
 wherein the engagement comprises respective opposing cam surfaces on an inner surface of the sleeve and the ring, 
 wherein the ring defines a first recess and a second recess on opposite sides of the cam surface defined on the ring, wherein the first recess defines a first axial distance between the plurality of second teeth and a depth of the first recess, wherein the second recess defines a second axial distance between the plurality of second teeth and a depth of the second recess that is greater than the first distance, and wherein the cam surface defined on the sleeve is received at the first recess in the first rotational position of the sleeve and is received at the second recess at the second rotational position of the sleeve.